Conference to explore balance between sustainability and Georgia’s economic growth

Athens, Ga. - The University of Georgia School of Law's 24th Annual Red Clay Conference will address how to balance the long-term sustainability of Georgia's ecosystems with efforts to stabilize and improve its economy. Starting at 8:30 a.m. on March 23, this daylong symposium will take place in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall on North Campus.

"Home to five distinct physiological regions, Georgia is considered one of the most biodiverse states in the country. Moreover, the state is home to more than 50 plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth," conference co-chair and second-year law student Ian P. Calhoun said. "The need for statewide economic improvement is producing questions about how and where to grow, and thoughtful conclusions will have to consider the effects of this growth on Georgia's valuable ecological resources. This conference will explore options for reconciling what are often considered divergent goals."

Serving as keynote speakers for the event will be Dorinda G. Dallmeyer, Environmental Ethics Certificate Program Director at the UGA College of Environment and Design, and James Salzman, Mordecai Professor of Law and Nicholas Institute Professor of Environmental Policy at Duke University. They will discuss the balance of human impacts on Georgia's natural habitats and the challenges and opportunities of creating markets for ecosystem services, respectively.

There will be four panel sessions covering market-based conservation, managing the impact of non-indigenous species, longleaf pine restoration and possible changes to the federal endangered species list.

This event is free for members of the UGA community. All other attendees will be charged $10 for pre-registration and $20 for day-of registration. Continuing legal education credits are available (pending approval). To learn more or to register, please visit www.law.uga.edu/ela.

Sponsored by the law school's Environmental Law Association, the Red Clay Conference was established to increase public awareness of environmental issues of regional, national and international significance through a series of educational presentations and open forum discussions.